News
Cherry AB Interim Report January–September 2018
Reading Time: 7 minutes
All business areas strengthen positions
THIRD QUARTER
• Group revenue increased by 58 percent to MSEK 899 (567), with organic revenue growth amounting to 46 percentages. Acquisitions contributed 1 percentage and currency 12 percentages points.
• Profitability improved, and EBITDA increased by 130 percent to MSEK 258 (112) and the EBITDA margin was 29 percent (20).
• Profit for the period amounted to MSEK 188 (42). EBIT was affected positively by an item affecting comparability of MSEK 57, following the revaluation of the previously owned holding in Highlight Games.
• Earnings per share before and after dilution amounted to SEK 1.75 (0.22) and SEK 1.74 (0.21) respectively.
• Cherry holds 60.4 percent of the shares in the former associated company Highlight Games.
• Cherry subsidiary ComeOn applied for eight Swedish gaming licenses in September.
• On 24 August, Anna Bergius and Claes Ruthberg announced that they would be stepping down from their assignments as members of the Board of Directors of Cherry AB (publ) with immediate effect.
INTERIM PERIOD
• Group revenue increased by 42 percent to MSEK 2,332 (1,644), of which organic growth amounted to 32 percentages. Acquisitions contributed 1 percentage and currency 9 percentages.
• Profitability improved, and EBITDA increased by 114 percent to MSEK 615 (288) and the EBITDA margin was 26 percent (18).
• Profit for the period amounted to MSEK 367 (93). EBIT was affected positively by an item affecting comparability of MSEK 57, following the revaluation of the previously owned holding in Highlight Games.
• Following new share issues, the number of shares has increased. As of September 30 2018, the number of shares is 4,988,000 Class A shares and 100,680,026 Class B shares, totalling 105,668,026 shares.
• Earnings per share before and after dilution amounted to SEK 3.31 (0.49) and SEK 3.30 (0.49) respectively.
EVENTS AFTER THE END OF THE PERIOD
• In July, Cherry Online Polska was granted a sports betting license for the Polish market. A new brand, PZBuk, was launched in October
• On 17 October, Cherry agreed to acquire the remaining 5 percent of the shares in the subsidiary Game Lounge.
• In September and October, Yggdrasil signed agreements with the largest gaming operators in Finland (Paf and Veikkaus) and in Sweden (Svenska Spel and ATG).
Comments by the CEO
Investments in marketing generate profitability
The second quarter of the year ended well and the positive trend in sales and gaming volumes continued throughout the third quarter. This is mainly explained by our high level of quality and innovation, which is appreciated by our customers and by all players.
As noted in our previous interim report, investments in marketing and operations strengthen the Group’s development both short and long term. Cherry’s strategy of maintaining proximity to all parts of the gaming market and end customers is crucial to our continued growth. This allows us to act quickly and invest resources where we see that such measures will provide the best return.
Consolidated net revenues rose from MSEK 567 to MSEK 899 compared with the corresponding period in 2017 – an increase of 58 percent. Organic growth was 46 percentages Corporate acquisitions contributed 1 percentage and currency by 12 percentages. EBITDA rose by 130 percent, from MSEK 112 to MSEK 258. Accordingly, the EBITDA margin for the third quarter increased to 29 percent (20).
There are several bright points in development in the third quarter, and I particularly want to highlight the favourable development in Online Gaming. ComeOn has succeeded very well with the broad plan of action that was brought into effect just over a year ago. All employees are making a tremendous effort and the company is now able to use more of its time and energy to establish even stronger positions in existing and new markets like in Poland, as well as with new brands such as Blitzino and PZBuk. ComeOn has shown itself able to launch innovations that are quickly appreciated by the market and brands that win over loyal customers. In our assessment, ComeOn has good opportunities to strengthen its position in the Swedish market following the re-regulation to be introduced next year. In line with our multi-brand strategy, ComeOn has applied for licenses for each of its brands in the Swedish market. A total of eight licence applications have been submitted to the Swedish Gambling Authority. The terms of a regulated market should be an advantage for our entire industry, and especially for ComeOn, which has several strong brands, established practices for responsible gaming, and a wide range of high-quality games offering good opportunities to win.
Game Development, with Yggdrasil and Highlight Games, also had a good quarter. The companies are run by strong entrepreneurs and skilled employees who understand what works in the market. Yggdrasil has progressed some way on its journey of growth, while Highlight recently launched its game product in test markets in Africa, and both companies are reporting success.
Yggdrasil’s games are now ranked among those that gaming operators must include on their platforms and, in many cases, Yggdrasil’s games are market leaders in terms of quality, resulting in agreements with several major gaming companies, including 888 Holdings and Tipsport and, in October, national operators Svenska Spel, ATG and Veikkaus. In September, Yggdrasil presented an agreement with XSG, a Taiwanese gaming operator. Through Cherry’s established relationships, we see good opportunities to continue developing Yggdrasil with strategic partnerships in new geographic markets, and the company continues to strengthen its organization with additional employees and a presence in the UK.
Highlight Games’ test launches in several African countries have gone well and the company reported initial revenues at the end of the reporting period. The focus is now on introducing the in-house developed game Soccerbet
in Italy and the coming months will be characterized by intensive efforts to launch the game together with major Italian game operator Eurobet.
Online Marketing continues its favourable development. Game Lounge has an exciting strategy and perceives good opportunities to grow in several geographic areas, including the US and Latin America, and in new verticals. In our assessment, growth will also continue in Sweden. The regulations open up for new channels, allowing marketing to be broadened and updated, both of which are Game Lounge’s strengths. The company is recruiting new employees in Sweden and other countries to meet anticipated increased activity among various market players.
Gaming Technology offers programs important to gaming operators in being able to run online casinos. Most sales are made to customers within the Group and operations are developing according to plan. XCaliber has renegotiated certain agreements with Cherry Group companies, negatively affecting the business area’s earnings in the third quarter. Since July, XCaliber has allocated significant resources to assignments for the Cherry Group’s gaming operators, and the assessment is that demand from these operators will maintain a high level.
In the early part of the fourth quarter, Restaurant Casino gained the permits necessary for operations at Swedish gaming venues. This is a gratifying development as the operations have been greatly affected by the delay in processing by the Swedish Gambling Authority. This means we are able to resume essential parts of our business and develop Cherry Spelglädje’s offering. Another positive factor is that the maximum stake is being raised to SEK 232.50 effective from 2019. Both factors mean we now envisage more positive development in our oldest business area compared with the current year.
Our land-based gaming operations have extensive experience of compliance with gaming regulations in Sweden and we intend to build on Cherry Spelglädje’s experience in the upcoming regulation of the remaining parts of the Swedish gaming market.
In many ways, Sweden is the most important market for us and for several European gaming companies, many of which have Swedish roots in the form of founders and entrepreneurs with abundant initiative. There is also an ecosystem here with competent employees and access to financing at different phases. The Swedish market remains highly important for Cherry, while we are also seeing significant growth in other markets and our strategy continues to be to expand into markets where we see opportunities for good returns.
Cherry has a long history and is one of the largest and most profitable companies with a broad presence in gaming, entertainment and media. This affords us an overview and understanding of events in our sector, enabling us to quickly optimize our resources in areas where we see opportunities for development. We will continue to strengthen our positions in markets approaching regulation, including Sweden and other major markets, such as states in the US. The clear regulations that such markets offer are of interest to Cherry and its subsidiaries as they provide opportunities for long-term commitment and stability. Unfortunately, we are noting that legislators, most recently in the UK, sometimes alter gaming rules at short notice, in our view this is counteracting the basic purpose of the regulations.
On 17 October 2018, Cherry decided to complete the acquisition of Game Lounge by purchasing the remaining 5 percent of the shares in Game Lounge Ltd for a purchase consideration equivalent to at most MSEK 260. The initial purchase price of MSEK 100 is fixed, while the remaining two items are conditional on Game Lounge’s earnings reaching certain levels for the remaining payment in cash or shares to occur. Game Lounge’s operations have developed well, and Cherry’s Board of Directors assesses that the company’s market conditions will remain favourable. The sellers will continue in their senior positions, are shareholders in Cherry and participate in the Group’s incentive programmes. The sellers are Game Lounge employees. Against this background, the acquisition constitutes a related party transaction and must therefore be approved by an extraordinary general meeting in Cherry AB, on 21 November 2018.
As we indicated in the report for the second quarter of 2018, Cherry continued to strengthen its operations on several fronts in the third quarter. The favourable performance generates the conditions we consider necessary to intensify efforts with the Group’s long-term financing and, accordingly, with the flexibility that can strengthen Cherry and its profitability. We are conducting ongoing evaluations of various alternatives for replacing existing bond loan.
As Acting CEO, I am proud of all of the efforts being made within the Group and I look forward to summarizing Cherry’s operations over 2018 as a whole.
Gunnar Lind
Acting CEO
MARKET OUTLOOK
The gaming market is currently growing strongly and Cherry estimates that demand in the Group’s largest geographic markets will continue to develop favourably. The Group continuously studies conditions for new business within the related business areas and geographic markets in and outside Europe.
The Group’s focus is on generating shareholder value by being an active participant in the development of new and existing companies in the gaming, media and entertainment sector. The objective is for the companies to become market leaders in their respective areas by building their core values of entrepreneurship, responsibility and commitment. These are important prerequisites for the Group to be able to achieve its financial targets and to continue its successful profitable growth, through both organic growth and acquisitions, in existing and new verticals and geographic markets.
PRESENTATION OF THE INTERIM REPORT
The company’s Executive Chairman, Morten Klein, Acting President and CEO, Gunnar Lind, and CFO Christine Rankin, will present and comment on the report at a telephone conference at 10:00 a.m. CET on 31 October 2018. The presentation materials will be available approximately one hour earlier at www.cherry.se. The presentation can be followed via www.cherry.se and/or www.financialhearings.com. To participate by phone, call +46 8 566 426 97 (SE) or +44 203 008 9807 (UK).
For further information, please contact:
Christine Rankin, CFO, Telephone: +46 76 539 94 92, [email protected]
Anders Antonsson, IR & Communications, Telephone: +46 709 994 970, [email protected]
CHERRY IN BRIEF
Cherry is an innovative and fast-growing gaming company with operations in gaming, entertainment and media. The company was founded in 1963 and today, Cherry operates through five diversified business areas: Online Gaming, Game Development, Online Marketing, Gaming Technology and Restaurant Casino. The objective is to grow organically in combination with strategic acquisitions of fast-growing companies. Cherry employs some 1,300 people and has about 9,325 shareholders. The company’s class B-share has been listed on the Nasdaq Stockholm exchange, Mid Cap segment since 18 October 2017.
Source: European Gaming Media
A partnership between game developer Turbo Games and iGaming solution provider and aggregator Slotegrator began in November 2022 via the APIgrator game integration solution. Since then, the collaboration has been developing successfully — and now it’s time to analyze what made it successful.
Turbo Games has noticed how the new technologies spreading throughout the industry can work for the good of brand transparency and player loyalty: “We can already see how blockchain technology has made it possible to make betting checks more accessible to players. All you need is a blockchain-hash and a decoder service. We think we will continue to move in this direction. Many traditional online casinos do not offer the possibility to check the bet. Sooner or later we all have to come to this. Perhaps the development of artificial intelligence will help here, because we are already seeing its involvement in all spheres of human life.”
Turbo Games specializes in provably fair games. Provable fairness is a concept where players can verify their wins or losses using blockchain technology — the outcome of the game is dictated by a smart contract and is absolutely random, barring the possibility of any human involvement. Using cryptographic hashing algorithms, the gambling site and the player’s device both generate seeds (random strings of numbers). Players receive a key that allows them to check the results; if the results are the same as the game round they witnessed, it proves that there was no foul play.
According to statistics from Turbo Games, the audience for provably fair games is mostly between 18 and 25 years old. However, there are also players aged 35-40 who prefer traditional games but would like to try something new, and have turned their attention to provably fair games.
There are good odds that the technology of provably fair games will become more popular, if not even commonplace, because it gives players a feeling of transparency and proves that the business is trustworthy without the need to search through dozens of reviews. Whereas many innovations in iGaming simply add entertainment, provable fairness addresses security concerns and reassures players that they’re not being exploited, which is invaluable.
Provably fair games are beneficial for both players and online casinos. Vadim Potapenko, Head of Sales at Turbo Games, comments: “It often happens that the users are not satisfied with the result, because gambling is not only about big wins, but also possible losses. By allowing them to check the fairness of a bet, we make life easier for platforms and players. Of course, this allows us to communicate with partners and users that we work honestly and that’s why they should trust our games.”
Ayvar Gabidullin, Business Development Manager at Slotegrator, adds that “this type of game is now becoming more and more popular and has great potential for both players and game providers in the future. On the part of the player, the advantage is that the player can always be sure that his game is fair and he can independently check any of his bets. And for the game provider, this also simplifies the process of implementing casino games, since now it will not be necessary to obtain the appropriate certificates from independent laboratories before launching new games, they can immediately enter the market with these games and where anyone can check the result and make sure that that there is no cheating with players. Many game providers are starting to look towards this type of game. And as far as I see, many operators are starting to think about adding these games.”
What do players in 2023 need? The iGaming industry is all about reputation and trust. Players have a huge number of platforms to choose from, making them pickier and pickier. There’s an abundance of forums where players leave reviews, so if players view a brand as untrustworthy, there are plenty of places they can share their opinion. Provable fairness not only stops that from happening, it provides evidence to the contrary, giving players something else to talk about.
Slotegrator also recommends investing time and effort into localization and creating an effective and detailed marketing strategy — before trying provably fair technology players need to get to the platform, and there is no acquisition without marketing.
ABOUT SLOTEGRATOR
Since 2012, Slotegrator has been one of the iGaming industry’s leading software and business solution providers for online casino and sportsbook operators.
The company’s main focus is software development and support for online casino platforms, as well as the integration of game content and payment systems.
The company works with licensed game developers and offers a vast portfolio of casino content: slots, live casino games, poker, virtual sports, table games, lotteries, casual games, and data feeds for betting.
Slotegrator also provides consulting services in gambling license acquisition and business incorporation.
More information: https://slotegrator.pro/
ABOUT TURBO GAMES
Turbo Games — a provably fair games provider that belongs to Turbo Stars company — has an ambitious goal to establish widespread recognition throughout the iGaming world. Even though it is young, the company consists of professionals who have been working on the brand for over five years and are even planning to introduce a new brand for a wider audience soon.
Turbo Games also works in Europe, India, and South Africa, where the company sees the most potential and expects the same “hype” as in Brazil.
The portfolio of Turbo Games consists of 21 titles, including well-known games like Mines, Crash X, DoubleRoll, Hi-Lo, and Plinko. The studio releases a game every month. However, not all games are developed from scratch. Wicket Blast and Spin Strike, the last two releases, are based on cricket and the Indian Premier League. Crash X remains the most popular fast game in the Turbo Games portfolio, and the studio reports that crash games enjoy stable levels of popularity. Overall, the main focus of the brand is provably fair games.
More information: https://turbogames.io/
Looking to take your career to the next level in the games industry? Then, Nordic Game Talents is the place to be! Games Factory Talents has teamed up with Nordic Game to bring you Nordic Game Talents.
From Oct 27-29, the online and interactive event is dedicated to recruitment and career building in the creative & games industry within the Nordic region. The event empowers participants to be part of a bigger community and motivates them to explore new paths in achieving their career goals.
Hiring creative & games studios – Supercell, Funcom, Panzerdog, Tactile Games, Gamecan, Fingersoft, Dazzle Rocks, Redhill Games to name a few from the Nordic region will be participating in the event. These studios will share information on their latest projects, work culture and what it takes to be part of their team. The individual games associations from Finland, Denmark, Sweden, Norway and Estonia will share insights through live sessions on the booming games industry in their respective countries. Career development topics pertinent to job seekers like – How to have a successful first interview, Creative Portfolio reviews will also be discussed.
Experienced game industry professionals and individuals beginning their careers from around the world are welcome to join the event. One-to-one interviews with the hiring studios can be scheduled through the event platform. A great opportunity to get to know the studios and network with game professionals from around the world.
Participating in the event
As a job seeker attending Nordic Game Talents, take a few minutes to fill out a simple registration form. After filling the registration form you will receive a link to the online event platform – PINE, to join the event on 27th October. Participants joining Nordic Game Talents will also receive a free-of-charge pass to the Nordic Game Conference.
To view the complete agenda, please click here and to learn more about the event please visit Games Job Fair
About Games Factory Talents
A Helsinki-based talent attraction agency dedicated to the games & creative industry. Our services include direct recruitment, organizing game job fairs and managing a community of game industry professionals through our GameDev Talent Board.
To learn more about Games Factory Talents visit – Games Factory Talents
810 THE SPREAD
Cumulus Media Launches 810 THE SPREAD, the Bay Area’s First Sports Station Focused on Sports Betting
Cumulus Media (NASDAQ: CMLS) announces that it has launched the Bay Area’s first Sports radio station focused on sports betting, 810 THE SPREAD. The new station brings sports and sports betting news, information, and insights to the burgeoning and underserved sports betting audience in San Francisco. 810 THE SPREAD will deliver behind-the-book perspectives from experts in a highly entertaining and engaging format. 810 THE SPREAD goes live today on the legendary 810am frequency that has been the 80-year home of historic Talk Radio KGO-AM. Cumulus San Francisco also launched the station’s new website at www.810thespread.com. Kevin Graham, Program Director of Cumulus’ sister sports stations KNBR 680AM/104.5FM and 1050 KTCT, adds Program Director duties for 810 THE SPREAD.
Larry Blumhagen, Vice President/Market Manager, Cumulus San Francisco, said: “810 THE SPREAD joins our sports brands KNBR 680AM/104.5FM and 1050 KTCT for a trifecta of dynamic sports content across four signals and streaming everywhere. We are excited about this new chapter and look forward to serving the Bay Area’s passionate sports fans in an incomparable way.”
Blumhagen added: “This is a bittersweet day for us, as it’s hard to say goodbye to the legendary KGO, which has been a part of listeners’ lives for so many years. We want to thank all the people who have been a part of KGO’s historic run these many years – and the listeners who loyally tuned in to the station. Times change, and we must change with them.”
Kevin Graham, Program Director, 810 THE SPREAD, said: “810 THE SPREAD will be the Bay Area’s best bet for sports fans and sports betting enthusiasts, and we are pleased to introduce sports-betting radio to our community. The station will feature a lineup of expert personalities that deliver unique sports talk and sports betting insights that entertain, inform, and engage, along with Cal Football and Basketball as well as select professional and college sports play-by-play events. While 810 THE SPREAD will feature specific gambling information, we believe our entertaining presentation will make it a favorite for all Bay area sports fans and a perfect complement to the legendary KNBR and KTCT. With its addition, it truly shows Cumulus’ commitment to the Bay area as ‘The Sports Leader’!”
The weekday programming lineup for 810 THE SPREAD includes:
6am-9am – Bet QL Daily – The must-consume show for sports fans and betting fans alike. Hosted by Joe Ostrowski, Joe Giglio, and Erin Hawksworth.
9am-12pm – Jim Rome - Aggressive, informed sports opinions, rapid-fire dialogue, and plenty of sports smack. As one of the most prolific sports talk hosts in America, Rome draws massive tune-in with legions of fans known as clones, who live for Rome’s take on the day’s largest issues in sports.
12pm-4pm – You Better You Bet – Nick Kostos and Ken Barkley have you covered for the best bets on the biggest matchups, the latest line movement and updates in the futures market. We’ll have up-to-the-minute coverage of backdoor covers and bad beats, and the cheers and tears that come with them. It’s sports betting conversation like you’ve never heard before.
4pm-8pm – Bet MGM Tonight – Live sports betting updates for all the night’s games as they happen – plus live “look-ins” for Major League Baseball games in progress. Get the latest scores, sides, totals, props, parlays, futures, and much more with hosts Quinton Mayo, Trysta Krick, and Ryan Horvat.
8pm-12 Midnight – CBS Sports Radio
BetQL Network programming is provided by Cumulus Media’s Westwood One through a partnership with Audacy.
For more information or to stream 810 THE SPREAD, visit: http://www.810thespread.com.
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